The continuous monitoring of CO2 ductances in pulmonary intensive care

A cardiorespiratory monitoring system allows the measurement of FAECO2 and FECO2 in the expired air of the patient at the mouth (endtidal CO2) and in a mixing box. From these parameters, combined with the measured PACO2, the alveolo-expired (DuA = PECO2/PAECO2) and alveolar-arterial (Dua = PAECO2/PACO2) ductances which assimilate the respiratory system to a two-stage exchanger have brought about a lot of valuable information 1. DuA improves by 20% in 20 patients after removal of bronchial obstruction (p < 0.001) and by 9% in 7 intubated patients after tracheotomy (p < 0.02). DuA falls by 15% (p < 0.001) in 10 patients with hypocapnia (PaCO2 = 28 mmHg) after a dead space adjunction with the aim of normalizing PaCO2 (paCO2 = 35 mmHg). 2. Dua falls by 33% in six patients after pulmonary embolism, proved by angiography (p 0.001) by 9% in 34 patients after 30 min of pure oxygen breathing (p 0.001). On the other hand, inthe absence of clinical or radiological pulmonary edema, in increases by 19% in 38 patients with hypervolemia after diuresis (furosemide) (p < 0.001). Thus since DuACO2 varies with anatomical dead space and the air distribution disorder, DuaCO2 evolves according to the disorders of the blood distribution and arterial-alveolar diffusion. The determination of these coefficients, in the absence of significant changes in the arterial blood gases, helps the diagnosis, guides the early treatment and allows for the monitoring of its efficiency.